Defensive recuitment clearly the priority for Lampard’s Sky Blue

FRANK Lampard has just over a week left to put the final pieces of his Coventry City squad together.

26 Aug 2026 - Coventry Telegraph

By ANDY TURNER

The Sky Blues have done a fair bit of business so far with nine signings to date to the tune of in excess of £100million but there are arguably still holes to fill to ensure there’s the strength in depth to give the club the best possible chance of competing and staying in the Premier League.

Here we take a look at the summer window so far, what’s been said and what still needs to be done before the close of business at 11pm on Tuesday, September 1.

After a slow start to their summer spending, the Sky Blues have had an incredibly busy August with the arrival of seven new faces to add to last season’s two loan signings – Frank Onyeka and Carl Rushworth – who have returned to the club on permanent contracts. The signings are:

1. Frank Onyeka (£5.9m,brentford)
2. Carl Rushworth (£22m, Brighton)
3. Aurele Amenda (£15.3m,frankfurt) 
4. Loum Tchaouna (£19.6m, Burnley) 
5. Caleb Yirenkyi (£23m, FC Nordsjaelland)
6. Gustavo Hamer (£6m, Sheffield United)
7. Taiwo Awoniyi (£9m, Nottingham Forest)
8. Sidiki Cherif (£20.9m, Fenerbahce) 
9. Daniel Bentley (Free, Wolves) 

Total spend to date - £106.7m

- What’s Doug King said about any more business?

“Listen, we’ve been busy this last weekend with a couple of new recruits (Awoniyi and Cherif ) coming in at the top end of the pitch,” he told talkSPORT last Thursday (Aug 20).

“I’ll tell you what’s been really good for us, we’ve changed this into a club that people really want to come and play for us. They feel it, they like it, like the stadium, like the set-up and like the head coach. And he’s been fantastic, by the way, and really great in our recruitment process and making sure that we sell the situation.

“So I’m really happy with the way we have gone this summer and if there are a couple of extras, a couple of stragglers that come in late then that will be for everyone to look out for.”

Positions to fill

The one position that jumps out at the minute is left-back where Jay Dasilva continues to be Lampard’s first choice. Jake Bidwell is highly regarded by the manager, not least for his influence in the dressing room, but was limited in game time last season which suggests there’s a need to add strength to the position. Miguel Brau is current third choice but it’s clear that having struggled to impose himself in the Championship, the Spaniard is surplus to requirements in the Premier League.

City’s reported pursuit of AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori suggests that Lampard wants to bring in a more experienced centre-half, although the club have been linked with Manchester City prospect Stephen Mfuni in the last few days as well as being reported to have secured a £6million deal to sign Brentford centre-back Ethan Pinnock.

And finally, the left wing is another area of the pitch that could benefit from fresh legs given that Ephron Mason-Clark is the only recognised operator in that position. Mason-Clark appears to be prone to the occasional muscle injury and sat out Friday’s night’s season opener at Arsenal.

Lampard does like versatility in his squad and striker Brandon Thomas-Asante deputised at The Emirates – as he did for a period last season – while Gustavo Hamer is no stranger to playing out wide from his time at Sheffield United. We are also yet to see where 19-year-old Sikidi Cherif will fit into the team, with the 6ft 2 inch tall striker also able to play on the left wing.

- Who are the names being linked?

Although Milan defender Tomori has been regularly linked, the fact that a host of other top-flight clubs have been credited with interest in the England international make it difficult to see the player choosing the CBS Arena. Liverpool are one of the higher profile clubs linked and in recent days Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest have been mentioned.

Meanwhile, The Athletic have reporting that City have agreed a £6m deal with Brentford for 33-year-old Ethan Pinnock.

As for the left-back slot, Porto’s Francisco Moura has been reported to be of interest to Coventry but the defender has also been strongly linked with Olympiacos.

Meanwhile, the emergence of Stephen Mfuni as a potential loan option covers both bases in that the left-sided centre-back can also play as a fullback.

In terms of wingers, Lampard is said to be keen on taking Chelsea’s Mykhailo Mudryk on a season-long loan – the 25-year-old Ukrainian a really exciting option due to his pace and Premier League experience.

- Who could be leaving?

Miguel Brau is an obvious candidate for the reasons stated above, and a permanent move would appear to be the best option. The left-back is claimed to be heading to newly-promoted Portuguese top flight side Académico de Viseu on a season-long loan.

Jake Bidwell could get a potential move if the player wants regular football but Lampard may be happy to keep him in the camp for his character and leadership at Ryton, as well as being a solid squad man.

City are currently a bit heavy in numbers at centre-half with five currently on the books and the potential for another to come in. The most obvious candidate for a move would seem to be Luke Woolfenden, although it may be a race against time in terms of this window due to the former Ipswich man being injured at the moment.

The goalkeeper department is another area where there’s scope for one to go out following the arrival of the experienced Dan Bentley from Wolves – the 33-year-old expected to compete with Ben Wilson as understudy to Rushworth this season.

That leaves the highly-rated Sweden international Oliver Dovin who hasn’t played for 18 months due to a serious knee injury, and whom would clearly benefit from a loan move. The 24-year-old was just beginning to establish himself in the Championship when he got injured and therefore a season-long spell in the second tier would appear to be ideal.

Other possibilities could be in midfield where City are extremely well blessed right now. Local lad Josh Eccles may find game time in short supply and has been linked with interest from relegated Wolves.

And finally, the top end of the pitch has seen Ellis Simms also linked with interest from Molineux. But having started the season at a time when Haji Wright is out for up to three months and Taiwo Awoniyi still working on his fitness after missing game time during Forest’s pre-season, Lampard won’t want to leave himself short.

Cherif is another option to lead the line but the highly-rated teen is a bit of an unknown quantity at this stage and may be one who needs time to develop and grow into the level which further strengthens the argument to keep Simms on board.

The former Everton front man also earned praise for the way he held up the ball against Arsenal at the weekend, highlighting the fact that he has all the physical attributes to adapt to the Premier League.